robertson and oliver s



(No Model.)

B. L. ROBERTSON & O. S. BURDETT.

OAR TRUGK.

Patented Jan.23, 1883.

s. FhcloLilhognphur. Washington. 11c.

NITED STATES I ATENT FFICE.

RICHARD L. ROBERTSON AND OLIVER S. BURDET'I, OF NEW ORLEANS, LA.

CAR-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,985, dated January 23, 1883. Application filed November 15, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RICHARD L. ROBERT- soN and OLIVER S. BURDETT, citizens of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Gar-Truck, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to trucks for railroad and horse cars; and it consists in certain improvements in the construction of the same,

- which will be hereinafter fully described, and

particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure l is a bottom plan view of a car-truck to which our invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view, in perspective, of as much of the truck as comprises one of the wheels. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the same on a larger scale than in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of one end of the truck, showing the construction of the end of the draw-bar.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

The object of our invention is to so mount or arrange the wheels under car-trucks that they may, in turning curves, turn to a radial position in relation to said curves, thereby preventing the friction and wear upon the track and rolling-stock, which is inevitable when the wheels are mounted rigidly under the truck, and also, of course, making the draft correspondingly lighter. This we accomplish by the improved construction and arrangement of parts, which we shall now proceed more fully to describe with reference to the drawings, in which A represents the main frame of a car-truck embodying our invention. B B are the axles, and U C the wheels. The ends or spindles of the axles are mounted in the boxes D D, which are fitted in stirrups E E, provided with laterally-projecting arms F F, by which they rest upon straps G G, arranged underneath and parallel to the side beams of the main frame A, to which they are secured, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The arms F F of the stirrups E E are provided with longitudinal slots H H, through which pass bolts I I, which extend through the side beams of the frame A and through the straps G,

thus serving to hold the stirrups in position. Springs J are interposed between the arms F F of the stirrups upon the boltsI I,as

shown, and the side beam of the frame, and

washers K K are arranged below the said springs in ,orderto prevent friction between the latter and the arms F. It will thus be seen that while the truckJis practically supported upon the stirrups E E the latter are capable of a shortsliding motion longitudinally, which may be in opposite directions at the opposite ends of the car-truck, thus permitting the wheels to assume the radial position to which reference has been made. L L are the draw-bars, which move laterally in guide-brackets M M, secured transversely under the ends of the car-truck. Said drawbars are provided in rear of said guide-brack- 7o ets with lugs N, bearing upon said brackets. In rear of these lugs the draw-bars are bifurcated and span the entire width of the car, their ends being attached to the front ends or arms, F, of the stirrups E. To the rear ends or arms of said stirrups are attached V-shaped brackets O O, the inner ends of which meet under the center of the car, and are connected or'pivoted together by a bolt, P, which slides in a slot, Q, in a bracket, It, arranged trans- 8o versely under the bottom of the car. This serves to keep the said brackets in their proper position. The operation and advantages of our invention will be readily understood from the foregoingdescription, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed.

'Draftis to be applied in the ordinary manner to'either of the draw-bars. When curves are reached the draw-bars will move laterally in their guide-slots, thus moving, through the 0 medium of the arms at their rear ends, the axles, which are mounted in the stirrups, to a radial position in relation to the curve, the advantage of which is obvious. In horse-oars the draw-bars may, while on a straight track, be held securely in position by means of a bolt, which may be removed on approaching acurve. Instead of connecting the ends of the drawbars and brackets 0 to the arms of the stirrups, they may, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, be connected direct to the axle.

We claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. Thecombination, with the axles mounted in stirrups having laterally-projecting arms provided with longitudinal slots, of the truckframe having straps to support said stirrnps, springs interposed between the arms of the stirrups and the side beams of the truck, and means for moving said stirrups to a radial position in relation to the truck-frame, as set forth.

2. As an improvement in car-trucks, the combination of the truck-frame having longitudinal'straps, the axles mounted in stirrups having laterally-projectin g arms provided with longitudinal slots, the bolts, springs, and washers, arranged as described, the draw-bars moving laterally in guide-brackets, and having lugs bearing against said brackets, and bifurcated ends connected with the front ends or arms of the stirrups, and V-shaped brackets secured to the inner arms of the stirrups,

and having their inner ends connected by a bolt sliding in a slot in a hanger transversely under the center of the car, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the longitudinallysliding stirrups having longitudinally-slotted arms, of the truck-frame, the bolts and springs, and the washers interposed'between the arms of the stirrups and the springs to prevent friction while the stirrups are being moved, asset forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses J os. B. HASKELL, Tnos. J. KEANE. 

